Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1221 - 1220 - Stupid Son

Mira recalled the time in the Sky Realm branch of the Moebius Sect. She had been teaching future alchemists when Annabelle had come to her for some tests on isolation wards for production masters.

They had to completely lock out sight, sound, and aura but not deny entry of the elements naturally in the environment in case there was a need for them.

During that time a certain topic had come up as she looked at her currently passed out son.

{I am not sure he has noticed but when Lind makes barriers keyed to his aura alone, it also syncs with yours. I mean, you are his mother but it might be something subconscious. Weaving is far more intricate than formations after all and it is tied to the soul. Maybe I should bring it up to him?}

Mira had waved it off as she thought her son would have long since noticed and maybe it was an experiment to see how far he could stretch his restrictions so she saw no point.

Yet, after he left the 2nd layer and they learned how much he had been through, they had pushed themselves to progress through the Crystal Tier.

Mira had struggled as her potential was almost used up. Still, they visited a place called the Rubyfire Empire, one of the largest floating lands of the 2nd layer.

It had exceedingly pure Qi but the reason they came to visit was that Lind had made many of the current defenses there. It was his most recent work with enough public access to test Annabelle's theory.

His actions to her when Lady Night ascended made Mira worried.

The Empire had made a huge affair of their arrival but the shocking moment was when the Crimson Harmony Law Crystal reacted to Mira! She felt a calling and the barrier that needed authorization from the Empress simply let her through!

No one else could do that! They also confirmed it with his outer defenses erected at the edge of the floating landmass. The barrier did not even react to her at all!

It was clear Lind had a deep trust in her to the point he included her in his strongest defenses. Once that was confirmed, resources were poured into her cultivation until she fit to bursting.

Kexin and Tessa had been assigned to guard her but Kal refused to be separated as well. They were all worried and reached the Radiant Tier 400 years before she even got close!

Mira had to finally use a Radiant Soul Pill to ignite her crystal to reach the Radiant Tier. It was not so bad as her foundation was superb, but her chances of reaching Sovereign Tier were now zero.

It was already remote to begin with so she did not feel like she lost out on anything.

The formation fed fire warmed the cavern as she looked around at the barren place. No books, shelves, or even an area to relax. It was a warrior's cavern.

If that was all, it would be normal given the circumstances of the 3rd layer. The brief history Senior Evie gave them made it practically a necessity to live like that. The issue was her son.

She hardly had to look him over before seeing the horrific disharmony between his Dao heart and his soul. It was a vague and ephemeral thing for cultivators below Heaven Realm, but Immortals it was critical.

How could Lind miss such a basic issue?

He was an experienced healer so he should have easily grasped the issue.

A Dao heart at odds with the soul was a fatal issue for a cultivator. Their very foundation would begin to unravel if it was not addressed.

Various actions, Oaths, and all the steps of cultivation formed a Dao Heart. Once a cultivator became an Immortal, it was very well defined.

So long as a cultivator stayed true, they would continue to progress through the realms so long as they had the ability and foundation to carry them forward.

Lind had ability and foundation in near mountainous quantities. If not, he would have lost his foundation long ago. Still, he was burning up his potential at that rate!

She examined him further and saw signs it was accelerating. He was making it so much worse!

She summoned a few pills that shimmered with the power of Laws. She was not on his level but she just barely reached Law Grade in the last century.

She had no doubt part of it was a side effect of her desire to reach her son. The motivation broke the bottleneck like it was a thin pane of glass.

It was still solid but it was easy to break with enough pressure. It took her 50 years to consistently succeed at making such pills.

The violet pill was administered to Lind and his condition improved dramatically. All she had done was use a Crystal Foundation Pill. It was very hard to make but in his current state, it would recover a lot of his potential that was not yet burned up by the disharmony.

The core issue was not resolved.

"She was right, you foolish child. You are throwing a tantrum but it is risking your life. Are you trying to die?" The unconscious form did not respond. Normally, her fist should not have been able to do that, but he had been exhausted entirely thanks to those 3.

She knew part of that fight was not just marking him without his knowing but venting the frustration of their close friends and master. Cyntilla had taught all 3 of them for centuries on their combat techniques so when she was hurting, they wanted to help.

Kal also felt like he owed Lind everything.

Mira had waited for the mark to light up on her artifact. It meant Lind had triggered the weavings to protect himself. She then concentrated and was able to make a tear directly to him. Without the weavings, it would have been like looking for a needle in a haystack.

His pale face and dark circles under his eyes told her volumes about his current state.

Evie had also revealed that he was close to a Lunar Fox woman but no one knew why. He had kept everyone at arm's length but lately he had used her exclusively for his contact with the outside world.

Evie had confirmed her guess that Lind was ill. There was also the fact that any correspondence never had a single name at all. Lind had always been courteous and careful to learn the names of any business contacts let alone people he met in the battlefield.

Yet for all Evie could confirm, he never uttered a single name. She had forced him to use hers which was odd as most would be happy to get her name.

Enough hints were added up that Mira agreed he was reaching the fatal stage of disharmony between a Dao heart and its soul.

There were no pills or elixirs to fix that issue.

Unless she found out why he was defying his Dao heart, she would outlive her own son!

"Why? Why are you trying to die, Lind?" She was not sure she wanted to know but she turned to make sure the defenses were working as the storm outside was vicious.

Time passed and finally Lind mumbled as he woke up. His emerald eyes, usually so bright and happy, were dull. They had no spark to them at all.

He rubbed his jaw as he looked at her. The loving son was totally absent.

"I suppose I deserved that. How did you–" She gave him no time to control the conversation.

"How stupid are you?" His face froze before a flash of anger went through his eyes. He slowly stood up and brushed off the dirt on his robes.

"I have asked that question a lot but do you have something specific?" She could see it then. He really did not understand. He was not possessed, but he was intentionally blinding himself.

She walked up to him and while he loomed over her, he backed away. It would have been funny if things were not so serious.

"How are you feeling?" Her question made him narrow his eyes before surprise morphed his face.

"I feel–better?" He was clearly examining his body and foundation but confusion flared as he found nothing wrong as she knew.

He was examining himself but she noticed it was like he avoided coming to a conclusion.

"What is a Dao Heart?" Her question made him freeze and silence stretched between them.

"I refuse." He then made to leave the cave! She stared at him as he had rejected the solution without even a doubt in her heart! He knew! He knew the answer but refused?!

She could not just let him leave! She moved in front of him but his recovery was shockingly fast from when he just woke up. He dashed to the entrance but then was sent reeling backwards as the weaving stopped him cold.

Mira was confused. Why did his own weaving stop him?

"What have you done?! Let me out!" The panicked voice drew her eyes but her confusion seemed to faintly register. She wanted to know as well.

He slammed his fist into the weaving but the sigils lit up and reflected it right back. She slowly walked up and pressed her hand through it.

Pain instantly lanced before her hand just vanished from her perception!

She screamed and it seemed to snap him out of his desire to leave. Her hand was just ice! She could feel nothing.

He quickly summoned an elixir and she took it. A burning sensation spread slowly at first and then pins and needles flared along her hand as it turned back into flesh.

He tried one more time but the same barrier that let her through continued to stop him.

What was going on?